Words & Music:
Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover,
Jon Lord & Ian Paice (Deep Purple)
(from the album "Machine Head")
This was the
last song written for the "Machine Head" album and, true to Deep
Purple form, was from an actual incident that happened to them while on the
road. They were set to record this
album in the ballroom of an old hotel in Montreux, Switzerland. The night before they were to start
recording, they attended a Frank Zappa and the Mothers concert in that ballroom
and a fan fired a flare gun to show his appreciation of the concert. The flare started a fire that, indeed,
burned the place to the ground.
Deep Purple recorded "Machine Head" in their hotel rooms
(barricading themselves in against a none-too-please hotel staff). When they needed one more song, they
knocked this one off in a surprisingly short time. It became a huge hit and is one of the first power
chord songs most of us learn.
Main riff: (yup.
This is how to play it. Or
you can play the usual power chords)
A5
C5 D5 A5 C5 Eb5
D5 A5 C5 D5
C5 A5 A5
E--------------|----------------------|---------------|-------------|
B--------------|----------------------|---------------|-------------|
G------3---5---|-------3-----6-----5--|-------3----5--|--3----------|
D--5---3---5---|--5----3-----6-----5--|--5----3----5--|--3---5---5--|
A--5-----------|--5-------------------|--5------------|------5---5--|
E--------------|----------------------|---------------|-------------|
[repeat 5x]
Am
C D Am
We all came out to Montreux on the Lake Geneva
shoreline.
Am
C
D Am
To make records with a mobile; we didn't have much
time.
Am
C D
Frank Zappa and the Mothers were at the best place
around.
Am
C
D
Am
But some stupid with a flare gun burned the place
to the ground
CHORUS:
D
F Am C
Am
Smoke on the water and fire in the sky.
D
F
Smoke on the water...
[main riff 2x]
They burned down the gambling house; it died with
an awful sound.
Funky & Claude was running in and out, pulling
kids out the ground.
When it all was over, we had to find another place.
But Swiss time was running out, it seemed we would
lose the race.
CHORUS:
MAIN RIFF 2x:
INSTRUMENTAL SOLO:
MAIN RIFF 2x:
We ended up at the Grand Hotel, it was empty, cold
and bare
But with the Rolling Stones truck thing just
outside,
Making our music there
With a few red lights and a few old beds, we make a
place to sweat.
No matter what we get out of this, I know, I know
we'll never forget.
CHORUS:
MAIN RIFF: [repeat and out]